It’s easy to feel down when it’s cold and dark out for most of the day. Add snowstorms, slushy streets, and icy sidewalks to the mix and you can be pretty ready for a rest when you come home after a long day. Here are a few ways to make your home more cheerful so you can feel the same.

1. Burn candles

There’s nothing quite like the soft, quiet light of a candle when it’s cold and dark outside. Keep a few burning in your room at night for a lovely glow before you go to sleep, and place them in windows for a beautiful glimmer.

Pro tip: most dollar stores carry the tall, long-lasting white candles that come in their own glass jars. Stock up and save money at the same time.

2. Bake

There’s nothing like coming home to a home that smells of baking bread, cookies, or pie.

While the “real thing” usually ends up being more delicious, don’t be afraid to buy pre-made mixes of things like gingerbread, pumpkin bread, and more. The act of baking has also been shown to be a good stress reliever, so it’s a nice end-of-day activity to keep you feeling cheerful as well as the house.

3. Get a diffuser

Scents are underrated, and aromatherapy is real – it can both elevate your mood and calm your body and mind.

A quality diffuser does two things: it keeps whichever room it’s in more humidified (which is good for your skin, lungs, and hair in the dry winter air); and releases whatever scent you want into the atmosphere. The Spa Room Spamist Diffuser has ultrasonic technology that releases essential oil fragrance for up to 4 hours of comforting aromatherapy:

Pro tip: good scents for the winter are peppermint (energizing), eucalyptus (cleansing), and cinnamon (warming).

4. Remove screens

You won’t be using your mesh screens for months and months, and they simply aren’t necessary when you’re not opening your windows.

If you remove them, you’ll get a lot of extra light flowing in, which will elevate your mood, not to mention improve your view.

5. Buy plants

New research shows that simply having plants around can both make you happier and boost your attention span. Keep them around the house as well as office to make both you happier and healthier.

Pro tip: good plants for the wintertime are spider plants, snake plants, and poinsettias.

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“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.” ― Edith Sitwell